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Mothergamer (1546 KP) rated the PC version of The Elder Scrolls Online Tamriel Unlimited in Video Games
Apr 3, 2019
Many of my friends kept telling me I should play Elder Scrolls Online because it was a lot of fun and set before the events of Skyrim. I told them I didn't have it yet, but eventually I would check it out. I liked that they followed in the steps of Guild Wars 2 by not having a monthly subscription, once you buy the game it's yours to play to your heart's content. I waited until it went on sale on Steam and got the collector's edition which included three DLCs and a horse mount. I was excited to create a new character and explore the world of Elder Scrolls Online. I actually made two characters both in the Nightblade job class a Dark Elf and a Wood Elf. You can have 8 character slots which is pretty nice. I may go and try out a Khajiit character later.
One of the many Khajit characters in the game.
The character creation is very user friendly with a variety of options. However, I once again wondered why there so many different variations of bald for the female characters. I suppose that just gives you a lot of options if that's your thing. I did like that there were plenty of longer hair options for the characters. Once my character creation was complete, I could not wait to start my adventure. I also had to pick which server to play on North American or European. I went with North American as the time difference doesn't really let me play with my European friends. Depending on which character you pick: Dark Elf, Wood Elf, High Elf, Khajit, Argonian, Nord, Breton, Redguard, or Orc you start the game that gives you a tutorial introduction for the game controls and then you have racial origin quests you can play. I play the game on PC so my controls were for the PC, but you can also play the game on PS4 and XboxOne. Once I finished the tutorial quest I was able to really begin exploring the world of Tamriel.
My Dark Elf ready for adventure!
One great thing that stands out is how easy the controls are to map and use. The user menu for items and quest logs is incredibly user friendly making the game feel nicely streamlined. There is literally tons to see and do in Elder Scrolls Online ranging from a myriad of side quests to origin story quests as well as the main story quests. Another thing I like is the dungeon system. While I like Final Fantasy 14, the one thing I really do not like is how many forced dungeon crawls there are. Elder Scrolls Online has made it so that if you want to do a dungeon you can or you can just skip it if it's not your thing.
There are actually seven different types of dungeons. You have the public dungeons which if you have the right character build, you can solo very easily. This dungeon is open to everyone so solo players can come in and explore and team up with people who are in there if they wish. Public dungeons are a bit more challenging than the other dungeons so in general a group definitely helps. Delves are solo dungeons pertinent to whichever quest you're on. Non-Veteran group dungeons are instanced dungeons that require a group of four and are normal mode and scale to the level of the group leader. Veteran dungeons are instanced as well, but they don't unlock until you're level 50 and they are a higher difficulty than the other dungeons. Trials are 12 person instances that are mainly for endgame content and require a solid group and teamwork. Craglorn delves are instanced dungeons that have you kill a specific bosses inside. Finally, there is the Dragonstar Arena which is a 4 person instance PVE (Player versus event) arena. This has 10 different levels where you work together to fight 5 waves of monsters in each level and a final boss at the end. This is a difficult level dungeon for experienced players.
Battling in a Delve.
There is chat of course and for the most part it's alright in the fact that you can learn about events or people looking for groups so you can team up for quests and dungeons. This also lets you know what guilds are out there recruiting. Other times I tend to turn off zone chat because there's only so many sexual innuendo and dick jokes I can take. For the most part I run around by myself doing quests and I always have fun doing them and I have done a few group dungeons which are fun as well. The community in Elder Scrolls Online is quite friendly from what I've experienced and there are a lot of players who are willing to help if you need it and give advice about the game and class builds. I've even had a few players trade gear with me to help my Nightblade characters be even better which was so nice of them. That alone has made my experience with Elder Scrolls Online even more enjoyable.
The different areas that I've explored so far are beautiful. Just exploring is a lot of fun in itself because each area is completely different so it's a lot of fun to just look around at everything. The music in the game is fantastic as well and sets a great atmosphere for the story and quests. The battles are fun and easy to navigate. Leveling doesn't feel like a chore and unlocking skills is simple to do and with enough skill points you can even morph your skills into more powerful abilities. Traveling is great too because once you unlock a way shrine you can fast travel to those spots that you have unlocked. It does cost some gold when you fast travel however, but with all the quests you get under your belt it's not that big a deal. Traveling on a mount is easy, you can just use a command that has your character whistle and your mount will appear so you can head to where you need to go.
My Wood Elf admiring the beautiful scenery.
There is PVP (player versus player) in the game. You can fight in Cyrodiil from level 10 and above. You can also challenge other players to a duel anywhere in Tamriel. If the person accepts your duel challenge, a flag appears and you fight in the designated area marked by the flag, if you leave that area it results in a forfeit. I tried it out once just to see what it was like (PVP is not my thing) and it was alright. For those who love PVP it is one more fun adventure thing you can do in the game.
You can do crafting in the game as well. There is an introductory quest to crafting that you get so you can learn about the craft you choose. There are six crafts to choose from: Blacksmith, Clothier, Alchemy, Enchanting, Provisioning, and Woodworking. The tutorial on how to do the crafts is easy to follow and once you get started it's easy to do. This is also a terrific way to make a bit of extra coin in the game for all the things you need such as gear and healing potions.
The one issue I have with Elder Scrolls Online is that there is no cross platform gaming. This means if you play on the PC, but your friends play on the PS4 or XboxOne consoles you can't play together. This means that PC players are on their own server and the console players are on their own separate server. I can understand a bit why they did it that way, but it kind of sucks that I can't play with my friends who are on the console platforms. In that regard, Final Fantasy 14 is winning because you can play with your friends across all platforms. Perhaps that may change in the future, but for now that's not the case.
Lack of cross platform gaming aside, Elder Scrolls Online is a great game. It's a fun adventure with a ton of content to explore and plenty of things to see and do. I'm glad I was able to check it out and I'm enjoying playing by myself and with other people. It's an MMORPG that offers a lot of great things in its game and gives a huge amount of freedom to the different play styles that people have allowing everyone to enjoy the game the way they wish. Now, I'm off to do some more adventuring in Tamriel!
One of the many Khajit characters in the game.
The character creation is very user friendly with a variety of options. However, I once again wondered why there so many different variations of bald for the female characters. I suppose that just gives you a lot of options if that's your thing. I did like that there were plenty of longer hair options for the characters. Once my character creation was complete, I could not wait to start my adventure. I also had to pick which server to play on North American or European. I went with North American as the time difference doesn't really let me play with my European friends. Depending on which character you pick: Dark Elf, Wood Elf, High Elf, Khajit, Argonian, Nord, Breton, Redguard, or Orc you start the game that gives you a tutorial introduction for the game controls and then you have racial origin quests you can play. I play the game on PC so my controls were for the PC, but you can also play the game on PS4 and XboxOne. Once I finished the tutorial quest I was able to really begin exploring the world of Tamriel.
My Dark Elf ready for adventure!
One great thing that stands out is how easy the controls are to map and use. The user menu for items and quest logs is incredibly user friendly making the game feel nicely streamlined. There is literally tons to see and do in Elder Scrolls Online ranging from a myriad of side quests to origin story quests as well as the main story quests. Another thing I like is the dungeon system. While I like Final Fantasy 14, the one thing I really do not like is how many forced dungeon crawls there are. Elder Scrolls Online has made it so that if you want to do a dungeon you can or you can just skip it if it's not your thing.
There are actually seven different types of dungeons. You have the public dungeons which if you have the right character build, you can solo very easily. This dungeon is open to everyone so solo players can come in and explore and team up with people who are in there if they wish. Public dungeons are a bit more challenging than the other dungeons so in general a group definitely helps. Delves are solo dungeons pertinent to whichever quest you're on. Non-Veteran group dungeons are instanced dungeons that require a group of four and are normal mode and scale to the level of the group leader. Veteran dungeons are instanced as well, but they don't unlock until you're level 50 and they are a higher difficulty than the other dungeons. Trials are 12 person instances that are mainly for endgame content and require a solid group and teamwork. Craglorn delves are instanced dungeons that have you kill a specific bosses inside. Finally, there is the Dragonstar Arena which is a 4 person instance PVE (Player versus event) arena. This has 10 different levels where you work together to fight 5 waves of monsters in each level and a final boss at the end. This is a difficult level dungeon for experienced players.
Battling in a Delve.
There is chat of course and for the most part it's alright in the fact that you can learn about events or people looking for groups so you can team up for quests and dungeons. This also lets you know what guilds are out there recruiting. Other times I tend to turn off zone chat because there's only so many sexual innuendo and dick jokes I can take. For the most part I run around by myself doing quests and I always have fun doing them and I have done a few group dungeons which are fun as well. The community in Elder Scrolls Online is quite friendly from what I've experienced and there are a lot of players who are willing to help if you need it and give advice about the game and class builds. I've even had a few players trade gear with me to help my Nightblade characters be even better which was so nice of them. That alone has made my experience with Elder Scrolls Online even more enjoyable.
The different areas that I've explored so far are beautiful. Just exploring is a lot of fun in itself because each area is completely different so it's a lot of fun to just look around at everything. The music in the game is fantastic as well and sets a great atmosphere for the story and quests. The battles are fun and easy to navigate. Leveling doesn't feel like a chore and unlocking skills is simple to do and with enough skill points you can even morph your skills into more powerful abilities. Traveling is great too because once you unlock a way shrine you can fast travel to those spots that you have unlocked. It does cost some gold when you fast travel however, but with all the quests you get under your belt it's not that big a deal. Traveling on a mount is easy, you can just use a command that has your character whistle and your mount will appear so you can head to where you need to go.
My Wood Elf admiring the beautiful scenery.
There is PVP (player versus player) in the game. You can fight in Cyrodiil from level 10 and above. You can also challenge other players to a duel anywhere in Tamriel. If the person accepts your duel challenge, a flag appears and you fight in the designated area marked by the flag, if you leave that area it results in a forfeit. I tried it out once just to see what it was like (PVP is not my thing) and it was alright. For those who love PVP it is one more fun adventure thing you can do in the game.
You can do crafting in the game as well. There is an introductory quest to crafting that you get so you can learn about the craft you choose. There are six crafts to choose from: Blacksmith, Clothier, Alchemy, Enchanting, Provisioning, and Woodworking. The tutorial on how to do the crafts is easy to follow and once you get started it's easy to do. This is also a terrific way to make a bit of extra coin in the game for all the things you need such as gear and healing potions.
The one issue I have with Elder Scrolls Online is that there is no cross platform gaming. This means if you play on the PC, but your friends play on the PS4 or XboxOne consoles you can't play together. This means that PC players are on their own server and the console players are on their own separate server. I can understand a bit why they did it that way, but it kind of sucks that I can't play with my friends who are on the console platforms. In that regard, Final Fantasy 14 is winning because you can play with your friends across all platforms. Perhaps that may change in the future, but for now that's not the case.
Lack of cross platform gaming aside, Elder Scrolls Online is a great game. It's a fun adventure with a ton of content to explore and plenty of things to see and do. I'm glad I was able to check it out and I'm enjoying playing by myself and with other people. It's an MMORPG that offers a lot of great things in its game and gives a huge amount of freedom to the different play styles that people have allowing everyone to enjoy the game the way they wish. Now, I'm off to do some more adventuring in Tamriel!
Andy Meakin (5 KP) rated Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2018
Welcome back to Jumanji
How dare they make a sequel/remake/reboot of Jumanji? I mean that film was a classic. Admittedly a very average classic that doesn’t really live up to your childhood memory of it, but still. And, yeah, Zathura was a kind of remake given it was adapted from a book by the same writer and explored the same themes, but nobody watched that, so how dare they do a new Jumanji film? I mean it’s only 22 years since the original came out!
Do you find yourself agreeing with any of that little rant? If you do, then I have a few things to say. First, accept that for thousands of years similar tales have been retold to new generations to keep the spirit of a story alive. Second, why not actually wait to see what the new film has to offer before casting judgement as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle actually serves well as a sequel to the first film, whilst doing something new with the idea.
Starting in the mid-90s, and the board game is unearthed on a beach. Given to a teenage kid by his father, the kid isn’t impressed as ‘nobody plays board games these days’, and he gets back to playing on his console. Overnight, reacting to the changes in gaming culture the box works some magic, and the next day the game has morphed to a video game format, to entice a new generation. Jump forward to present day and a group of unlikely teenagers are cast together in detention when they happen upon the abandoned game console. Taking a break from their junk-room sorting, they fire up the game and find themselves pulled into the game -world, each taking on the avatar of the character template they chose on load up. Presented with a quest in true video-game fashion, they set off to find a way to escape, whilst learning something about themselves in the process.
By transitioning to a video-game setting, the story allows for a great deal of fun to be had poking at the contrivances and conventions of the format, especially for games of the era in which the game was inspired. The characters all have strengths and weaknesses, the spawning of lives by dropping from the sky is so reminiscent of many a side-scrolling platform shooter of yesteryear. Even the behaviour of the NPC – I mean support cast – is perfectly drawn upon the mannerisms that game characters act, being there to spout random exposition to move you on your quest. As for the quests – yep, they are pointlessly complicated, filled with traps and red herrings.
But such pokes at video game culture would be wasted if the casting was wrong, but in the four main stars they have cast the perfect personae for each archetype. The heroic, strong and smouldering hero, who is being played by a soft heated geek – The Rock of course. You want a ‘Lara Croft’ style action heroine, albeit played by a socially awkward teen girl – enter Karen Gillan. Weak sidekick who is only there to carry equipment, but being played by a high school jock who thinks he can do anything – Kevin Hart is your man. Round that off with a studious professor type, being played by a female – that kind of comic role works well for Jack Black. Each of the stars cast has a lot of fun playing with there archetypes, and the film does them all justice to allow them to each have their moments to shine. Gillan, in particular, does a great job at looking entirely awkward yet confident at the same time, and her nerdy seduction scene showcases a comic timing ability equal to her action talents showcased in the GotG films.
The action is thrilling, the humour well placed, and the direction solid enough to bring this video game movie to life. In fact, this is one of the best video game movies to date, even though it isn’t even adapted from a real video game. A few nods to the original Jumanji are present, but without awkwardly placed. The end result is a fun family adventure with some great action set pieces and a wry humour, much like the original was. Don’t let nostalgia for the original put you off exploring the world of Jumanji once more.
Do you find yourself agreeing with any of that little rant? If you do, then I have a few things to say. First, accept that for thousands of years similar tales have been retold to new generations to keep the spirit of a story alive. Second, why not actually wait to see what the new film has to offer before casting judgement as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle actually serves well as a sequel to the first film, whilst doing something new with the idea.
Starting in the mid-90s, and the board game is unearthed on a beach. Given to a teenage kid by his father, the kid isn’t impressed as ‘nobody plays board games these days’, and he gets back to playing on his console. Overnight, reacting to the changes in gaming culture the box works some magic, and the next day the game has morphed to a video game format, to entice a new generation. Jump forward to present day and a group of unlikely teenagers are cast together in detention when they happen upon the abandoned game console. Taking a break from their junk-room sorting, they fire up the game and find themselves pulled into the game -world, each taking on the avatar of the character template they chose on load up. Presented with a quest in true video-game fashion, they set off to find a way to escape, whilst learning something about themselves in the process.
By transitioning to a video-game setting, the story allows for a great deal of fun to be had poking at the contrivances and conventions of the format, especially for games of the era in which the game was inspired. The characters all have strengths and weaknesses, the spawning of lives by dropping from the sky is so reminiscent of many a side-scrolling platform shooter of yesteryear. Even the behaviour of the NPC – I mean support cast – is perfectly drawn upon the mannerisms that game characters act, being there to spout random exposition to move you on your quest. As for the quests – yep, they are pointlessly complicated, filled with traps and red herrings.
But such pokes at video game culture would be wasted if the casting was wrong, but in the four main stars they have cast the perfect personae for each archetype. The heroic, strong and smouldering hero, who is being played by a soft heated geek – The Rock of course. You want a ‘Lara Croft’ style action heroine, albeit played by a socially awkward teen girl – enter Karen Gillan. Weak sidekick who is only there to carry equipment, but being played by a high school jock who thinks he can do anything – Kevin Hart is your man. Round that off with a studious professor type, being played by a female – that kind of comic role works well for Jack Black. Each of the stars cast has a lot of fun playing with there archetypes, and the film does them all justice to allow them to each have their moments to shine. Gillan, in particular, does a great job at looking entirely awkward yet confident at the same time, and her nerdy seduction scene showcases a comic timing ability equal to her action talents showcased in the GotG films.
The action is thrilling, the humour well placed, and the direction solid enough to bring this video game movie to life. In fact, this is one of the best video game movies to date, even though it isn’t even adapted from a real video game. A few nods to the original Jumanji are present, but without awkwardly placed. The end result is a fun family adventure with some great action set pieces and a wry humour, much like the original was. Don’t let nostalgia for the original put you off exploring the world of Jumanji once more.
Housewife of Horror (12 KP) rated The Canal (2014) in Movies
Aug 25, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Canal (2014)
Platform: Shudder
Genre: Horror
Country: Ireland (IFB)
Running Time: 92 minutes
Written and Directed by: Ivan Kavanagh
Release Date: April 18th 2014 (Tribeca Film Festival)
Cast: Rupert Evans; Steve Oram; Antonia Campbell-Hughes; Hannah Hoekstra
After found footage, psychological horror films are a favorite of mine. I love how they pull you into the story, how up is down, left is right, I love to be enveloped by the plot. That tingly feeling I get on the back of my neck, the hairs standing up, I know then it has me in it’s clutches. I had that feeling with The Canal.
David (Rupert Evans) works as a film archivist, he is given a reel of footage from the police archives to watch and subsequently archive by his work colleague and close friend Claire (Antonia Campbell-Hughes), which turns out to be old crime scene footage of he and his wife’s current home. It was the scene of a shocking crime in 1902, the brutal murder of a cheating wife, their children and the nanny by the enraged father.
David suspects his wife Alice (Hannah Hoekstra) of having an affair, so he decides to follow her one night, only to unfortunately confirm his suspicions. He watches Alice while she is with her lover, and then picking up a hammer, he appears to mull over the idea of using it, only to quickly come to his senses. Walking away, he throws the hammer in to the canal on the way back to their marital home, where he has left their young son asleep in bed, alone in the house.
David, feeling sick from what he witnessed, as well as what he had considered doing about it, runs into the (quite dirty) canal-side public toilets. He hears something or someone coming in after him, and then see’s them, their feet, under the stall door, followed by fingers appearing to creep over the top of the door. He then proceeds to suffer from quite nightmarish visions that include the man, the husband, from the 1902 crime scene footage. He seems to be taunting David, whispering things to him. David, in a state of distress, manages to crawl outside, where he then witnesses what appears to be his wife being thrown into the canal; he just can’t see it very clearly or coherently. He later comes round on the floor of the bathroom, unnerved and disheveled, and makes his way home. The next morning, when he realises that Alice has not come home that night, David goes to the local police station to report her missing. Obviously, the police suspect David, “It’s always the husband” says the (inept) detective on the case.
The plot twists and turns, is it David? Is it the entity? Some great revelations about the grim history of the house come up throughout. It’s an interesting watch that comes to a disturbing conclusion.
A great little scene, that made me believe David was the killer, was during one of his viewings of the old footage. He stood up, in front of the projector, silhouetting him in front of the screen, making him appear to be a dark shadow. To me, this was the directors’ nod to David’s darkness within.
The Canal is a great psychological horror; it does very well to dig itself under your skin as you watch, and drag you in to this nightmare that David’s life has turned into. I was really impressed with the performance of Rupert Evans, tormented and devastated, he made David’s pain almost tangible. Watching him seemingly fall further into madness as the story progressed was quite frightening. I really felt for the nanny, she is a totally innocent girl who just wants to protect David and Alice’s son Billy, and can’t leave even when she knows she should. She gets dragged deeper and deeper in to the madness; everyone close to David is brought into this waking nightmare.
The ending is well, quite creepy and rather disturbing as I have said earlier. The story feels to me to have come full circle, and you can envision that it is a tormenting nightmare that will repeat itself over and over with future residents of the house for years to come.
4/5 – It’s rather worth a look if you like a good psychological horror
Lesley-Ann (Housewife of Horror)
Platform: Shudder
Genre: Horror
Country: Ireland (IFB)
Running Time: 92 minutes
Written and Directed by: Ivan Kavanagh
Release Date: April 18th 2014 (Tribeca Film Festival)
Cast: Rupert Evans; Steve Oram; Antonia Campbell-Hughes; Hannah Hoekstra
After found footage, psychological horror films are a favorite of mine. I love how they pull you into the story, how up is down, left is right, I love to be enveloped by the plot. That tingly feeling I get on the back of my neck, the hairs standing up, I know then it has me in it’s clutches. I had that feeling with The Canal.
David (Rupert Evans) works as a film archivist, he is given a reel of footage from the police archives to watch and subsequently archive by his work colleague and close friend Claire (Antonia Campbell-Hughes), which turns out to be old crime scene footage of he and his wife’s current home. It was the scene of a shocking crime in 1902, the brutal murder of a cheating wife, their children and the nanny by the enraged father.
David suspects his wife Alice (Hannah Hoekstra) of having an affair, so he decides to follow her one night, only to unfortunately confirm his suspicions. He watches Alice while she is with her lover, and then picking up a hammer, he appears to mull over the idea of using it, only to quickly come to his senses. Walking away, he throws the hammer in to the canal on the way back to their marital home, where he has left their young son asleep in bed, alone in the house.
David, feeling sick from what he witnessed, as well as what he had considered doing about it, runs into the (quite dirty) canal-side public toilets. He hears something or someone coming in after him, and then see’s them, their feet, under the stall door, followed by fingers appearing to creep over the top of the door. He then proceeds to suffer from quite nightmarish visions that include the man, the husband, from the 1902 crime scene footage. He seems to be taunting David, whispering things to him. David, in a state of distress, manages to crawl outside, where he then witnesses what appears to be his wife being thrown into the canal; he just can’t see it very clearly or coherently. He later comes round on the floor of the bathroom, unnerved and disheveled, and makes his way home. The next morning, when he realises that Alice has not come home that night, David goes to the local police station to report her missing. Obviously, the police suspect David, “It’s always the husband” says the (inept) detective on the case.
The plot twists and turns, is it David? Is it the entity? Some great revelations about the grim history of the house come up throughout. It’s an interesting watch that comes to a disturbing conclusion.
A great little scene, that made me believe David was the killer, was during one of his viewings of the old footage. He stood up, in front of the projector, silhouetting him in front of the screen, making him appear to be a dark shadow. To me, this was the directors’ nod to David’s darkness within.
The Canal is a great psychological horror; it does very well to dig itself under your skin as you watch, and drag you in to this nightmare that David’s life has turned into. I was really impressed with the performance of Rupert Evans, tormented and devastated, he made David’s pain almost tangible. Watching him seemingly fall further into madness as the story progressed was quite frightening. I really felt for the nanny, she is a totally innocent girl who just wants to protect David and Alice’s son Billy, and can’t leave even when she knows she should. She gets dragged deeper and deeper in to the madness; everyone close to David is brought into this waking nightmare.
The ending is well, quite creepy and rather disturbing as I have said earlier. The story feels to me to have come full circle, and you can envision that it is a tormenting nightmare that will repeat itself over and over with future residents of the house for years to come.
4/5 – It’s rather worth a look if you like a good psychological horror
Lesley-Ann (Housewife of Horror)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of DOOM in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
I remember playing DOOM on my 486 computer back in 1995. I remember the first time I connected with a friend on a dial up and we played all night even though I had a day trip to Canada early the next day. I learned that there is no such thing as I will only play online for a little bit when the game grabs ahold of you.
Jumping forward to 2016, the iconic game is back and bigger, bolder, and more brutal than ever. The game effectively reboots the franchise and does not stray from the premise of the player being a solitary Marine on Mars who must battle an unending mass of demons from Hell.
There is more context to the story provided by a computer A.I. named Vega and a few key players who pop up to drive the story along.
The game is stunning to look at as the details of the Mars base are amazing. It is not just a series of Sci Fi themed corridors and rooms, but a real and fully functional base with labs, repair bays, tram systems, and so much more. I had slight nods to “Aliens” and “Total Recall” as I explored but the designs were breathtaking to behold at times.
The endless waves of enemies did not allow for much sightseeing, as they were abundant and diverse. All of the classic characters have been given an update and thankfully so have your weapons. The game allows you to upgrade your weapons and armor with various abilities based on skill points you earn or recover in game. This allows players to add new combat options such as turning your Chain gun into a multi barreled death dealer in alt fire mode.
You will need it as the game is filled with moments where you are confined to an area and must battle endless waves of enemies before you are allowed to progress. I understand that this is part of the DOOM series, but it did become a bit repetitive as it seemed every time I entered any area of size, the waves would come again and again.
The game is challenging and players will be happy to know they can adjust the difficulty settings in game, and yes, for those nostalgic for a blast from the past, there is a God mode for those who can use some help.
The game also has a fair amount of platform jumping which is not one of my areas of enjoyment, but it does it in a reasonable way that is in keeping with the tone and setting of the game.
Players will want to make sure their use their ammunition wisely as there is nothing worse than running dry in a Boss Battle with no way to load up, short of laying a solid attack on an enemy and hoping they drop some along with some health.
I also was thrilled to see the power ups such as haste, rage, and quad damage back, as well as the ability to graphically and brutally dispatch an enemy, no matter the size once you have weakened it. The chainsaw is also a nice inclusion and being able to cleave and shred demons never gets old.
The Boss battles are imaginative and challenging and with roughly 16 hours of playtime on the campaign, there is much to like.
The multiplay in the game is a bit retro as you have your Team Deathmatch, Warpath, Domination, etc. I enjoyed the mix of old and new but wished that the ability to co-op through the campaign was an option as it was an enjoyable part of DOOM and DOOM 2 back in the day.
The addition of SnapMap, an easy to use and powerful map creator is a very nice touch as I look forward to spending more time creating some maps and seeing what the community at large comes up with.
There were a few minor crashed along the way but the game has a very fair and practical save system based on checkpoints, so I never had to redo any significant portions of a map following a death or infrequent crash.
DOOM was not only a nice game to look at, but it kept my attention and interest throughout and I found myself immersed in the action and storyline.
While it would be easy to mention things the game did not include, what is included is a very deep and visually appealing game with plenty of challenges and action that keeps the franchise fresh and relevant. I for one cannot wait to see what comes next.
http://sknr.net/2016/05/18/doom-2/
Jumping forward to 2016, the iconic game is back and bigger, bolder, and more brutal than ever. The game effectively reboots the franchise and does not stray from the premise of the player being a solitary Marine on Mars who must battle an unending mass of demons from Hell.
There is more context to the story provided by a computer A.I. named Vega and a few key players who pop up to drive the story along.
The game is stunning to look at as the details of the Mars base are amazing. It is not just a series of Sci Fi themed corridors and rooms, but a real and fully functional base with labs, repair bays, tram systems, and so much more. I had slight nods to “Aliens” and “Total Recall” as I explored but the designs were breathtaking to behold at times.
The endless waves of enemies did not allow for much sightseeing, as they were abundant and diverse. All of the classic characters have been given an update and thankfully so have your weapons. The game allows you to upgrade your weapons and armor with various abilities based on skill points you earn or recover in game. This allows players to add new combat options such as turning your Chain gun into a multi barreled death dealer in alt fire mode.
You will need it as the game is filled with moments where you are confined to an area and must battle endless waves of enemies before you are allowed to progress. I understand that this is part of the DOOM series, but it did become a bit repetitive as it seemed every time I entered any area of size, the waves would come again and again.
The game is challenging and players will be happy to know they can adjust the difficulty settings in game, and yes, for those nostalgic for a blast from the past, there is a God mode for those who can use some help.
The game also has a fair amount of platform jumping which is not one of my areas of enjoyment, but it does it in a reasonable way that is in keeping with the tone and setting of the game.
Players will want to make sure their use their ammunition wisely as there is nothing worse than running dry in a Boss Battle with no way to load up, short of laying a solid attack on an enemy and hoping they drop some along with some health.
I also was thrilled to see the power ups such as haste, rage, and quad damage back, as well as the ability to graphically and brutally dispatch an enemy, no matter the size once you have weakened it. The chainsaw is also a nice inclusion and being able to cleave and shred demons never gets old.
The Boss battles are imaginative and challenging and with roughly 16 hours of playtime on the campaign, there is much to like.
The multiplay in the game is a bit retro as you have your Team Deathmatch, Warpath, Domination, etc. I enjoyed the mix of old and new but wished that the ability to co-op through the campaign was an option as it was an enjoyable part of DOOM and DOOM 2 back in the day.
The addition of SnapMap, an easy to use and powerful map creator is a very nice touch as I look forward to spending more time creating some maps and seeing what the community at large comes up with.
There were a few minor crashed along the way but the game has a very fair and practical save system based on checkpoints, so I never had to redo any significant portions of a map following a death or infrequent crash.
DOOM was not only a nice game to look at, but it kept my attention and interest throughout and I found myself immersed in the action and storyline.
While it would be easy to mention things the game did not include, what is included is a very deep and visually appealing game with plenty of challenges and action that keeps the franchise fresh and relevant. I for one cannot wait to see what comes next.
http://sknr.net/2016/05/18/doom-2/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Super 8 (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Writer/Director/Producer JJ Abramas is one of film and televisions hottest talents. With credits that include Lost, Fringe, Alias, “Mission Impossible 3“, “Cloverfield“, and “Star Trek” on his resume and several projects in the works, Abrams is one of the shining young talents in Hollywood.
For his new film “Super 8” Abrams uses a small Ohio town in the summer of 1979 to set the stage for his tale about a group of friends who while shooting a zombie film project make a discovery that will shake the foundation of their rural community.
Following the tragic death of his mother in a mill accident, Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), is deep in dispair over his loss. His father deputy Lamb (Kyle Chandler), is focused on his work and with this own grieving that he has no time to bond with his son.
When summer break arrives deputy Lamb thinks that Joe would be better off spedning a few weeks at a baseball camp instead of associating with his friends and making what he believes is a stupid zombie film.
Wishing to stay with his friends, Joe works to help his friend Charles (Riley Griffiths), finish his Super 8 film for a contest by providing the makeup for the film. When the group of friends sneak out one evening to film scenes at a train platform they are thrilled to have a local girl named Alice (Elle Fanning), on board the production. Joe has long had interest in Alice and the fact that she has borrowed her fathers car to drive them despite having her license is a big plus.
The filming is going well when they notice a truck driving into the path of an oncoming train and setting off a spectacular derailment and series of explosions.
When the smoke clears the friends learn that the truck was driven by their high school biology teacher who warns them not to say a word as their lives as well as their families lives will be in danger .
The friends return to town and keep quiet about what they have seen even when the military shows up and is clearly hiding something from the local population. When a series of bizzare events start to unfold it becomes clear that something has escaped from the train wreckage, and it is something that the military will go to any lengths to recover and are not about to let anyone stand in their way.
Caught between the military and a creature on the loose, Joe and his friends must find a way to get to the truth and save their town and friends before its to late.
The film moves at a very steady pace that does not lend itself to an action film. The movie is a character driven film about the youngsters and their coming of age relationships with one another as they are faced with a situation beyond their comprehension.
There is a good amount of humor in the film and the youngcast does very well with one another. I especially liked the character of Cary (Ryan Lee), who is obsesses with explosives and blowing things up. He provided plenety of light moments in the film as did other cast members who brought humanity to their parts with their foibles like having a weak stomach in times of stress.
My biggest issue with the film was that as good as the cast was the pacing was to slow as there was not enough action and suspense to sustain the films premise. The reveal of the creature was fairly matter of fact and lacked any real tension or surprise.
The film also suffered from having the adults in the film for the most part come across as incompetant individuals which forced the children to take action.
While this can be overlooked, I think the film could have used some more action and suspense as well as a tighter transition and pacing to the films final act as it came across as all to familiar with very little in the way of suspense or thrills.
“Super 8” played out as JJ Abrams nostalgic homage to the Steven Spielberg (who produced the film) movies of his childhood which so clearly influenced him. I saw many elements of Spielberg directed or produced classic such as the shadowy authority figures, child heroes, and the sense of wonder and growing up that made such fims as “E.T”, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, “Gremlins” and “The Goonies” such beloved films.
That being said, “Super 8” is a fun and entertaining summer film that is enjoyable if not original. The nostalgic soundtrack and look of the era is captured well and provides for a pleasant summer distraction.
For his new film “Super 8” Abrams uses a small Ohio town in the summer of 1979 to set the stage for his tale about a group of friends who while shooting a zombie film project make a discovery that will shake the foundation of their rural community.
Following the tragic death of his mother in a mill accident, Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), is deep in dispair over his loss. His father deputy Lamb (Kyle Chandler), is focused on his work and with this own grieving that he has no time to bond with his son.
When summer break arrives deputy Lamb thinks that Joe would be better off spedning a few weeks at a baseball camp instead of associating with his friends and making what he believes is a stupid zombie film.
Wishing to stay with his friends, Joe works to help his friend Charles (Riley Griffiths), finish his Super 8 film for a contest by providing the makeup for the film. When the group of friends sneak out one evening to film scenes at a train platform they are thrilled to have a local girl named Alice (Elle Fanning), on board the production. Joe has long had interest in Alice and the fact that she has borrowed her fathers car to drive them despite having her license is a big plus.
The filming is going well when they notice a truck driving into the path of an oncoming train and setting off a spectacular derailment and series of explosions.
When the smoke clears the friends learn that the truck was driven by their high school biology teacher who warns them not to say a word as their lives as well as their families lives will be in danger .
The friends return to town and keep quiet about what they have seen even when the military shows up and is clearly hiding something from the local population. When a series of bizzare events start to unfold it becomes clear that something has escaped from the train wreckage, and it is something that the military will go to any lengths to recover and are not about to let anyone stand in their way.
Caught between the military and a creature on the loose, Joe and his friends must find a way to get to the truth and save their town and friends before its to late.
The film moves at a very steady pace that does not lend itself to an action film. The movie is a character driven film about the youngsters and their coming of age relationships with one another as they are faced with a situation beyond their comprehension.
There is a good amount of humor in the film and the youngcast does very well with one another. I especially liked the character of Cary (Ryan Lee), who is obsesses with explosives and blowing things up. He provided plenety of light moments in the film as did other cast members who brought humanity to their parts with their foibles like having a weak stomach in times of stress.
My biggest issue with the film was that as good as the cast was the pacing was to slow as there was not enough action and suspense to sustain the films premise. The reveal of the creature was fairly matter of fact and lacked any real tension or surprise.
The film also suffered from having the adults in the film for the most part come across as incompetant individuals which forced the children to take action.
While this can be overlooked, I think the film could have used some more action and suspense as well as a tighter transition and pacing to the films final act as it came across as all to familiar with very little in the way of suspense or thrills.
“Super 8” played out as JJ Abrams nostalgic homage to the Steven Spielberg (who produced the film) movies of his childhood which so clearly influenced him. I saw many elements of Spielberg directed or produced classic such as the shadowy authority figures, child heroes, and the sense of wonder and growing up that made such fims as “E.T”, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, “Gremlins” and “The Goonies” such beloved films.
That being said, “Super 8” is a fun and entertaining summer film that is enjoyable if not original. The nostalgic soundtrack and look of the era is captured well and provides for a pleasant summer distraction.
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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated NMBR 9 in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2020
When I first heard of NMBR 9, I thought it looked like a cool table-top version of Tetris. I was immediately drawn to the bright colors and the abstract concept, and it earned a spot high atop my wishlist. Luckily, I have a birthday every year, and even more luckily, I have great friends who know how to help me celebrate. So shoutout to Travis and his wife Kristin for getting me this gem for my birthday last year!
NMBR 9 is a tile-laying game of abstract strategy in which players are trying to accumulate the most end-game points. Setup is easy – just shuffle the deck of number cards, and you are ready to go! Here’s how you play. Every round, a card is drawn from the deck. Each player then takes the corresponding number tile and adds it to their arrangement following the specified placement restrictions. Those restrictions are as follows: tiles must be placed number-side up, tiles on the same level must be touching orthogonally, a tile placed on a level above other tiles must touch at least 2 tiles beneath it, and a tile placed on a level above other tiles must not have any gaps below it. Once everyone has placed their tile, a new card is drawn and play continues. The deck consists of 2 cards of each number (0-9), and once the deck runs out, the game ends and points are tallied. To count up your points, you multiply the number on each tile by the level on which the tile sits. The bottom-most level (on the table) is level 0, so any tiles there earn you no points. Let’s say you get an 8 tile on your 2nd level, so at the end of the game, that tile earns you 16 points. The highest score wins, so brush up on your multiplication tables!
Does NMBR 9 add up to everything you’d hoped for? Ok, bad pun. But really – how does this game hold up? For a game that is so easy to learn, it takes a lot of thought to play. The idea of tile-laying isn’t new, but because these tiles are all different shapes and have very specific placement restrictions, it takes this game to the next level – literally. The cards dictate the order in which tiles are played, so you are constantly adapting your strategy to fit the given tile into your array. One thing that helps make it a little easier to strategize is knowing that there are exactly 2 cards for every number in the deck. So as the game goes on, you can usually figure out which cards are left and try to set your grid up for maximum points. That being said, it still takes quite a bit more strategy than originally meets the eye. My first play was pretty brutal because I was not expecting to be that challenged!
The biggest drawback for me is that because of the abstract tile shapes and placement restrictions, it can be difficult to build a solid base upon which to earn yourself lots of points. Since you aren’t allowed to leave gaps under tiles, you really need to create as much unbroken space as possible to ensure that you can play any number of tiles on higher levels. That ultimately means that you have to sacrifice some tiles to your Level 0 (which scores no points) to eventually play tiles to any upper levels. If the bottom-most layer was Level 1, it would not feel like a waste to put, for example, a 9 on the table to create a platform for the next level. And another thing that can be rough at first is the scoring. Yeah yeah, simple multiplication isn’t that bad, but it still takes me a hot second to multiply everything and get it added up for my final score. Not a knock on the game necessarily, just a wake-up call for my lack of math skills I guess.
Overall, I think that NMBR 9 is a great game! It’s an easy game to learn, but definitely a tricky one to master. It is fast enough to play many times in a row, and I often find myself asking for one more play just to see if I can do better next time. All in all, it’s a great game, and I am so happy with this birthday gift! Purple Phoenix Games gives NMBR 9 a calculating 15 / 18.
NMBR 9 is a tile-laying game of abstract strategy in which players are trying to accumulate the most end-game points. Setup is easy – just shuffle the deck of number cards, and you are ready to go! Here’s how you play. Every round, a card is drawn from the deck. Each player then takes the corresponding number tile and adds it to their arrangement following the specified placement restrictions. Those restrictions are as follows: tiles must be placed number-side up, tiles on the same level must be touching orthogonally, a tile placed on a level above other tiles must touch at least 2 tiles beneath it, and a tile placed on a level above other tiles must not have any gaps below it. Once everyone has placed their tile, a new card is drawn and play continues. The deck consists of 2 cards of each number (0-9), and once the deck runs out, the game ends and points are tallied. To count up your points, you multiply the number on each tile by the level on which the tile sits. The bottom-most level (on the table) is level 0, so any tiles there earn you no points. Let’s say you get an 8 tile on your 2nd level, so at the end of the game, that tile earns you 16 points. The highest score wins, so brush up on your multiplication tables!
Does NMBR 9 add up to everything you’d hoped for? Ok, bad pun. But really – how does this game hold up? For a game that is so easy to learn, it takes a lot of thought to play. The idea of tile-laying isn’t new, but because these tiles are all different shapes and have very specific placement restrictions, it takes this game to the next level – literally. The cards dictate the order in which tiles are played, so you are constantly adapting your strategy to fit the given tile into your array. One thing that helps make it a little easier to strategize is knowing that there are exactly 2 cards for every number in the deck. So as the game goes on, you can usually figure out which cards are left and try to set your grid up for maximum points. That being said, it still takes quite a bit more strategy than originally meets the eye. My first play was pretty brutal because I was not expecting to be that challenged!
The biggest drawback for me is that because of the abstract tile shapes and placement restrictions, it can be difficult to build a solid base upon which to earn yourself lots of points. Since you aren’t allowed to leave gaps under tiles, you really need to create as much unbroken space as possible to ensure that you can play any number of tiles on higher levels. That ultimately means that you have to sacrifice some tiles to your Level 0 (which scores no points) to eventually play tiles to any upper levels. If the bottom-most layer was Level 1, it would not feel like a waste to put, for example, a 9 on the table to create a platform for the next level. And another thing that can be rough at first is the scoring. Yeah yeah, simple multiplication isn’t that bad, but it still takes me a hot second to multiply everything and get it added up for my final score. Not a knock on the game necessarily, just a wake-up call for my lack of math skills I guess.
Overall, I think that NMBR 9 is a great game! It’s an easy game to learn, but definitely a tricky one to master. It is fast enough to play many times in a row, and I often find myself asking for one more play just to see if I can do better next time. All in all, it’s a great game, and I am so happy with this birthday gift! Purple Phoenix Games gives NMBR 9 a calculating 15 / 18.
Mothergamer (1546 KP) rated Puppeteer in Video Games
Apr 3, 2019
I was perusing games on Amazon when the game Puppeteer was suggested to me. I was intrigued by the cover and looked at the game description to see what it was about. It sounded interesting and it was on sale so I purchased it. I started playing the game and I was blown away by it because it's not like any game I've played before. The whimsical aspect of it is charming and it made me think of Little Big Planet which is also a fun and whimsical game. If you're a fan of Little Big Planet like I am, you will enjoy Puppeteer.
Puppeteer is a side scrolling platform game and you play as a boy turned into an animated puppet who loses his head named Kutaro. Kutaro gains a variety of puppet heads to replace his own throughout the game. You have three puppet heads and when you lose a head, you have thirty seconds to grab the head and put it back on or you lose it forever. Your heads are basically like lives so when you lose all three heads/lives it's game over.
The story takes place in a fantasy world representing Earth's moon which is inhabited by a myriad of folklore style characters and they are all puppets as well. The game is set up to look like a faux stage with red curtains and you can hear an audience reacting to the events that happen in the story along with commentary from the narrator. It adds to the charm of Puppeteer, making it feel like a complete theater experience while playing a video game. The first half of the game is on the dark side of the moon while the second half is on the Earth side. When Kutaro's story begins, the narrator explains that the Moon Goddess was overthrown by by her servant Little Bear who then seized her black moonstone and the scissors called Calibrus and dubbed himself the Moon Bear King.
Kutaro exploring the first level of the game.
The Moon Bear King is the main villain, but there are several villains you have to battle before you get to him; twelve of his generals based on the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Each of them has a piece of the Goddess' white moonstone which Kutaro must get from them. Kutaro does get tools that can help him and eventually he does get Calibrus which are essentially a weapon for him. There are creative ways in which they are used besides as a weapon such as jumping to cut clouds to get to a high ledge or cutting seams to move faster while battling an enemy. They are also used to free the other animated children like Kutaro by cutting the puppet strings so they can return home.
There are other tools that are used as well such as ninja bombs which can open pathways for you and a pirate hook which can hook items or secret doors. They are smartly and creatively used with simple puzzles in various levels of the game which makes the game play entertaining and interesting.
Talking with Ezma Potts, one of the many characters in Puppeteer.
The environments in Puppeteer are bright, colorful, and filled with beautifully done imaginative things. They're fun to explore and you can go back and play previously beaten levels because there are so many puppet heads and bonus items to collect. A couple of levels were my favorites such as the pirate one and the Halloween one because they put a smile on my face while playing and the Halloween one gave a Nightmare Before Christmas vibe that I loved. There are a few moments of frustration here and there with a couple of the boss battles and depth perception issues in a couple of levels, but it's not a huge deal because the execution of how the game plays and how well the story flows makes Puppeteer worth playing.
Avast! Hanging out with pirates.
The game is about nine or ten hours of story and if you really want to explore to get every single puppet head out there, all the trophies, and bonus stages that can add a little more extra time and keep you pretty busy. The voice acting and music for the game is superb and there are even moments of humor that will cause you to laugh. It's quite clear that the developers of Puppeteer loved this game and enjoyed designing it and their imaginations really shine throughout the entire game; making Puppeteer a wonderful gem for gamers like myself who appreciate the fun and whimsy.
While some of the art can be dark and spooky like the Halloween level, there's plenty of light and fun levels making the game enjoyable for people of all ages. Overall, Puppeteer is a delightfully charming game and so much fun to play. It is worth buying and playing more than once because it doesn't take itself seriously, celebrates all things whimsical and fun, and is a terrific game.
Puppeteer is a side scrolling platform game and you play as a boy turned into an animated puppet who loses his head named Kutaro. Kutaro gains a variety of puppet heads to replace his own throughout the game. You have three puppet heads and when you lose a head, you have thirty seconds to grab the head and put it back on or you lose it forever. Your heads are basically like lives so when you lose all three heads/lives it's game over.
The story takes place in a fantasy world representing Earth's moon which is inhabited by a myriad of folklore style characters and they are all puppets as well. The game is set up to look like a faux stage with red curtains and you can hear an audience reacting to the events that happen in the story along with commentary from the narrator. It adds to the charm of Puppeteer, making it feel like a complete theater experience while playing a video game. The first half of the game is on the dark side of the moon while the second half is on the Earth side. When Kutaro's story begins, the narrator explains that the Moon Goddess was overthrown by by her servant Little Bear who then seized her black moonstone and the scissors called Calibrus and dubbed himself the Moon Bear King.
Kutaro exploring the first level of the game.
The Moon Bear King is the main villain, but there are several villains you have to battle before you get to him; twelve of his generals based on the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Each of them has a piece of the Goddess' white moonstone which Kutaro must get from them. Kutaro does get tools that can help him and eventually he does get Calibrus which are essentially a weapon for him. There are creative ways in which they are used besides as a weapon such as jumping to cut clouds to get to a high ledge or cutting seams to move faster while battling an enemy. They are also used to free the other animated children like Kutaro by cutting the puppet strings so they can return home.
There are other tools that are used as well such as ninja bombs which can open pathways for you and a pirate hook which can hook items or secret doors. They are smartly and creatively used with simple puzzles in various levels of the game which makes the game play entertaining and interesting.
Talking with Ezma Potts, one of the many characters in Puppeteer.
The environments in Puppeteer are bright, colorful, and filled with beautifully done imaginative things. They're fun to explore and you can go back and play previously beaten levels because there are so many puppet heads and bonus items to collect. A couple of levels were my favorites such as the pirate one and the Halloween one because they put a smile on my face while playing and the Halloween one gave a Nightmare Before Christmas vibe that I loved. There are a few moments of frustration here and there with a couple of the boss battles and depth perception issues in a couple of levels, but it's not a huge deal because the execution of how the game plays and how well the story flows makes Puppeteer worth playing.
Avast! Hanging out with pirates.
The game is about nine or ten hours of story and if you really want to explore to get every single puppet head out there, all the trophies, and bonus stages that can add a little more extra time and keep you pretty busy. The voice acting and music for the game is superb and there are even moments of humor that will cause you to laugh. It's quite clear that the developers of Puppeteer loved this game and enjoyed designing it and their imaginations really shine throughout the entire game; making Puppeteer a wonderful gem for gamers like myself who appreciate the fun and whimsy.
While some of the art can be dark and spooky like the Halloween level, there's plenty of light and fun levels making the game enjoyable for people of all ages. Overall, Puppeteer is a delightfully charming game and so much fun to play. It is worth buying and playing more than once because it doesn't take itself seriously, celebrates all things whimsical and fun, and is a terrific game.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Far Cry 6 in Video Games
Oct 6, 2021
Far Cry 6 Gives Fans More Of What They Want From The Series
The tropical Caribbean island of Yara is the setting for the latest chapter in the popular Far Cry series and Far Cry 6 gives fans even more of what has made the series such as success.
Players can play as either a male or female named Dani who attempts to flee the island and the brutal Dictatorship of Anton Castillo (Giancarlo Esposito); who has ruled with an iron grip and a wave of human rights violations since he was elected to office.
The island has never recovered from a prior revolution which has left most of the country in poverty and given Castillo a platform to impose his rule. Under Castillo, a cancer drug named Viviro has been developed and he sees it as the path to a golden future for the nation.
Taking place in a very large open-world setting; players will have to navigate the island and survive clashes with Castillo’s forces as well as the abundant wildlife of the island.
While the gameplay mechanics of the game will no doubt be familiar to fans of the series; Far Cry 6 attempts to bring even more to the process starting with the locale. Yara is a small island but it offers a diverse ecosystem and players will have a wide array of vehicles from cars to motorcycles, trucks, planes, helicopters, boats, jet skis, and even horses to help cover the vast distances missions require.
As the game unfolds players will be able to use Fast Travel locales to return to bases and safe areas. There is a wide range of music as well for players to enjoy and I found lots of enjoyable tunes to help pass the travel times.
Naturally, the game is all about action and while stealth is at times needed; I am all about mayhem and the game allows you to find a path to success that best suits your style ranging from a story mode where damage and death still happen but not as frequently to more traditional forms of play.
Players can brutally dispatch an enemy with a machete and disable the alarms, or gun in with guns and grenades blazing and let the body count rise.
The island offers various control points and strategic locales for players to clear and capture which makes travel easier as being forced to repair vehicle damage in a gunfight is never ideal.
Customization is a big part of the series and while I did not have to hunt for herbs for health; the ability to upgrade weapons and ammunition; especially the Supremo backpacks was a great addition and came in handy. While I did use this option several times; I usually stayed with weapons that had been working and found my loadout only needed a few changes along the way.
The arsenal available to players is vast as pistols, machine guns, rifles, and explosives are only part of the fun. Players can also gain the help of various animal friends and having a Gator named Guapo along for the mission or an adorable dog in a cart added a nice dimension and really helped lure out enemies in hiding.
While I mentioned the island being vast; the game is also very long as there are numerous missions as well as several side missions that can be given to players along the way. At times it seemed like I was moving forward with a final push only to have a mission asking me to defend performers at a concert, deface a series of billboards, or go drinking with another player.
While some may find this distracting from the overall game narrative; it actually did wonders for expanding upon the characters and their stories. Dani must help recruit various groups into the cause and they all have their own interests and motivations and the characters grow and change over the course of the game events.
Some have complained about the graphics in the trailers leading up to launch, but I found them more than sufficient, and installing the texture pack helped a great deal as well.
After completing the game I found I was not ready to leave Yara behind and thankfully there will be weekly Incursion events and other updates along the way to enjoy as well as DLC in the future. The game does offer a Co-Op mode which is on my list to try and I look forward to taking my salvaged parts and customizing various vehicles and weapons for more carnage in the months to come.
While it does not attempt to change the formula, Far Cry 6 expands and improves on what has made the series such a success and gives fans more of what they want.
Players can play as either a male or female named Dani who attempts to flee the island and the brutal Dictatorship of Anton Castillo (Giancarlo Esposito); who has ruled with an iron grip and a wave of human rights violations since he was elected to office.
The island has never recovered from a prior revolution which has left most of the country in poverty and given Castillo a platform to impose his rule. Under Castillo, a cancer drug named Viviro has been developed and he sees it as the path to a golden future for the nation.
Taking place in a very large open-world setting; players will have to navigate the island and survive clashes with Castillo’s forces as well as the abundant wildlife of the island.
While the gameplay mechanics of the game will no doubt be familiar to fans of the series; Far Cry 6 attempts to bring even more to the process starting with the locale. Yara is a small island but it offers a diverse ecosystem and players will have a wide array of vehicles from cars to motorcycles, trucks, planes, helicopters, boats, jet skis, and even horses to help cover the vast distances missions require.
As the game unfolds players will be able to use Fast Travel locales to return to bases and safe areas. There is a wide range of music as well for players to enjoy and I found lots of enjoyable tunes to help pass the travel times.
Naturally, the game is all about action and while stealth is at times needed; I am all about mayhem and the game allows you to find a path to success that best suits your style ranging from a story mode where damage and death still happen but not as frequently to more traditional forms of play.
Players can brutally dispatch an enemy with a machete and disable the alarms, or gun in with guns and grenades blazing and let the body count rise.
The island offers various control points and strategic locales for players to clear and capture which makes travel easier as being forced to repair vehicle damage in a gunfight is never ideal.
Customization is a big part of the series and while I did not have to hunt for herbs for health; the ability to upgrade weapons and ammunition; especially the Supremo backpacks was a great addition and came in handy. While I did use this option several times; I usually stayed with weapons that had been working and found my loadout only needed a few changes along the way.
The arsenal available to players is vast as pistols, machine guns, rifles, and explosives are only part of the fun. Players can also gain the help of various animal friends and having a Gator named Guapo along for the mission or an adorable dog in a cart added a nice dimension and really helped lure out enemies in hiding.
While I mentioned the island being vast; the game is also very long as there are numerous missions as well as several side missions that can be given to players along the way. At times it seemed like I was moving forward with a final push only to have a mission asking me to defend performers at a concert, deface a series of billboards, or go drinking with another player.
While some may find this distracting from the overall game narrative; it actually did wonders for expanding upon the characters and their stories. Dani must help recruit various groups into the cause and they all have their own interests and motivations and the characters grow and change over the course of the game events.
Some have complained about the graphics in the trailers leading up to launch, but I found them more than sufficient, and installing the texture pack helped a great deal as well.
After completing the game I found I was not ready to leave Yara behind and thankfully there will be weekly Incursion events and other updates along the way to enjoy as well as DLC in the future. The game does offer a Co-Op mode which is on my list to try and I look forward to taking my salvaged parts and customizing various vehicles and weapons for more carnage in the months to come.
While it does not attempt to change the formula, Far Cry 6 expands and improves on what has made the series such a success and gives fans more of what they want.